Security-Centric Alliance Lending and Learning Of Phaelites
The Security-Centric Alliance Lending and Learning Of Phaelites ("SCALLOP" for short) is an agency existing in The Gerosha Chronicles of Dozerfleet Comics. The term applies retroactively to the organization operated by Ploribus/Darius Philippine in every version dating back to Gerosha Prime, but did not get its current name until the development of Cataclysmic Gerosha. It is the main organization behind gathering the Sodality of Gerosha together as a team, apart from the ministry for Phexos and Marlquaanites that was being operated by Rev. Tyler Kilmington and Rev. Wilbur Brocklyn with help from Imaki Izuki. It plays a major role in both Gray Champion stories, as well as the Sodality timeline. It has a minor role in all the Gerosha Legends stories. It sometimes plays straight, and other times parodies, tropes associated with S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Structure Leadership The leadership positions are often in close ties with the National Guard of whatever is the current host nation for SCALLOP. As such, they tend to wear a lot of military camo. Darius Philippine is a primary example, though his son Lex has been known to do things similarly. Loved ones of the top leadership often wear civilian clothing and use lanyards to identify themselves when needed. Trainees Young agents-in-training work in a variety of different capacities, including radio and telecommunications. They often wear black and silver outfits. Both Kyle Medsor and Hea Pang did this early on. Scientists The scientist division at SCALLOP is responsible for all breakthroughs when it comes to the creation and monitoring accessories of Phexos and the tech needed to create them. They are also the division in charge of creating MPF generators, producing Remotach pills, and researching everything needed regarding Phexo and Phex-1 alterations. Most of the Phaelites still living on Earth tend to go into this division, though certainly not all. The division proudly traces its roots all the way back to Shortimo Bokakrast, the Meethlite whose running afoul of the early Hebbleskin regime helped lead to the rebellion that created the Phaelite nation. It was the predecessors of SCALLOP scientists who included the one that oversaw the Phexo Quartet in battle in Japan. And another who helped create Darius inside of Insila Murtillo - and also created the fusion of Grandma Centipede and Stan Flippo that made Candi possible. They also are in charge of the rejuvenation formulas that Darius uses to stay a top fighter in spite his age. Field agents Field agents are the calm, collected agents that contact non-violent Phexos and deal with them both on biological and legal matters. They are the non-militarized Phexo police, as well as investigators and social workers whose jobs specifically revolve around Phexos and their families. Rarely, a field agent will monitor a Marlquaanite or relative of one. Usually dressed like private investigators, they are often deceptively low-key. They are the easiest agents to have infiltrate an area without triggering any alarms. However, they are also the easiest to assault and impersonate. Notable field agents include Marion Wevenil and Jim Oisdaat. Marion has seen it all during her tenure, and done nearly everything too. Her calm-yet-authoritative demeanor was able to convince even someone as nervous and paranoid as a young Candi Flippo to calm down and cooperate even when instinct said to do otherwise. It is because of this calm, matriarchal tone that she was the agent sent to arrest Candi when the latter failed to appear for a mandatory exam. It was reasoned that Candi would not respond well to an agent of a different temperament. Marion was someone to be trusted. She became the very poster woman for what a good SCALLOP agent, loved and trusted by those served, should be. Jim Oisdaat was always a tad more aggressive than Marion, and often rather insensitive to the nuances of someone's situation. Because of this, he was often sent in with a team of combat agents to deal with more problematic Phexos. He was quickly promoted to being one of Darius' most trusted men. However, the position of power got to his head. His dedication to his work - and ability to avoid getting in trouble for being abusive - eventually led to his downfall. He became the very symbol of how not to be a field agent. His troubles began after he was assigned to take the non-powered Celia Winehart into custody. Also put in charge of interviewing her, he lost control of himself and assaulted her sexually. In spite his bullying of the Sodality girls for their cooperation and silence, and in spite their protests, he was never formally charged nor was any action taken against him by Darius. Lex was suspicious that Celia's story may have had some truth, so he began deliberately sending Jim on increasingly dangerous missions with little-to-no backup. Jim was one of Darius' most trusted agents, even helping Darius cover up from the rest of his organization the fact that he was being manipulated by the Hebbleskins. In spite having plenty of opportunity and motive to defect to the Hebbleskins, he doesn't. It is discovered after he is killed by the Sapphire King in revenge for what he did to Celia that he was actually about to defect to the Icy Finger - arguably worse. Combat agents For situations where the field and trainee agents are not properly equipped, some SCALLOP agents are equipped with basic combat gear. They are trained about as well as a National Guard unit, but may contain special equipment. Artillery units may include MPF generators for capturing especially troublesome Marlquaanites. Combat agents not only deal with troublesome Phexos and Marlquaanites in the absence of a hero to do the job; they also serve as security guards for other SCALLOP operations. Their greatest opposition usually comes in the form of Hebbleskin gangsters and Icy Finger terrorists. Organization in-story history Pre-SCALLOP history SCALLOP can trace its origins all the way back to the Phaelite Exiles who fled to Earth during the Phaelon-Metheel War. The feud between Phaelite and Meethlite cultures on Phaelon and Metheel initiated with the rise of a Hebbleskin dynasty on Metheel out to punish those who favored the anti-statist views of Shortimo Bokakrast. In spite the heroic efforts of Dephinol Wilmarik to defeat Blazarik Kripanol, the war would not end for many more centuries. A band of ruthless Hebbleskin-related thugs followed the early Phaelite Exiles to Earth, lest Earth develop Phexos aplenty before there were Meethexos aplenty to counteract their influence. The Hebbleskin exiles formed the Hebbleskin Gang, and began implanting their influence every place on Earth they could find evil men willing to work with or for them. This placed heavy pressure on the US National Guard to explore a way to stay ahead of the Hebbleskins' game, should Meethexo threats become real. News of the Hebbleskins being on good terms with the Society of the Icy Finger worsened fears. Phaelite Society of Earth was formed, and the Phaelite Activity Measure was established as a liaison organization between PSE and the US government. In WWII, the Hebbleskins sought to prove their merits to the Japanese government by having a Meethexo dubbed "Molarity" be the first to successfully do that which no Japanese commander would authorize of a regular set of troops: invade and sabotage California. Phaelite Society tracked down four of its most promising Phexo leads to form a team that could fight back against Japanese aggression: the Phexo Quartet. Becky Ryba and Arrowfrog proved rather easy to recruit, and Anarteq volunteered eagerly. The only member who posed some trouble was Centipede Charlie, who only joined the war effort after some of FDR's friends sent Charlie's girlfriend Lacey Akawa to an internment camp - and used her to blackmail Charlie into joining the Quartet. Re-branding The PSE and PAM were intrigued by the legend of Henry Lohtz, a pirate with trillions in wealth hidden somewhere who legendarily considered his most symbolic treasure to be his scallop seashell with a letter "G" carved into it by a lightning whelk, a seashell he dubbed the "Gerosha Stone." This treasure was later recovered by Stan and Shalia Flippo, who used some of their discovered treasure to help build the town of Gerosha atop the remains of Boonville after the Battle for Gerosha. It was inside the Triangulum, Stan's home, that a PAM looking for a way to rename itself was given the proposal by Stan to call themselves "SCALLOP," based on the Gerosha Stone being so valuable symbolically to both parties. The backronym "Security-Centric Alliance Lending and Learning Of Phaelites" was then proposed as a justification for using "SCALLOP" as a shorthand name. Growth While remaining barely-adequately-funded, SCALLOP managed to stay ahead of the game for many years. They built science research facilities, dabbled in espionage briefly, and built up a force capable of the strength of a single state's National Guard posts. However, their main purpose was to monitor the activities of Phexos and Marlquaanites while maintaining a database of hostile Meethexos. They would aid the government in acquiring and learning secrets of Phaelite tech, while they also observed the consequences unfold of their predecessors' dabbling in the use of the Marlquaan for genetic engineering, a practice that had become known as "bokakry" after Shortimo Bokakrast. Darius Philippine, the illegitimate son of Stan Flippo and Insila Murtillo, became the director of SCALLOP. He utilized his resources to make certain Imaki Izuki was in an ideal position to help the Flippo family out with Candi. He also aided Imaki in his brief time spent in Japan as a mentor to Charlotte Yamamura. Darius, undercover, also aided Seth Lambrelli of Lambrelli Labs in disposing of the paper trail that linked Seth to Navyrope; and he followed up some more by providing legal teams for Seth when the legality of Pilltar became questionable. Darius' leadership in SCALLOP also meant that teams were readily available to assist in building the Gerosha Cemetery as a tribute to the legacy of Stan and Shalia after the two of them were murdered in 2006 by Hebbleskins. Part of Candi's being in Erin and Imaki's joint custody was also Darius' idea, brought on by necessity when Reily refused to take care of his sisters. In 2008, a contract with Lambrelli Labs and several other shipbuilders ensured the creation of a giant submarine aircraft carrier base for SCALLOP, dubbed the Chen in reference to a sea monster from Chinese mythology. The Great Marlquaan Storm of 2012 The agency's big breakthrough in popularity began in 2012, when SCALLOP officials were sent to Boston to keep an eye on Dereck Johnson's Marl-Q Industries demo regarding Marlquaan manipulation. The young Kyle Medsor was deeply into becoming a SCALLOP agent himself, and caused his girlfriend Hea Pang to also show some interest in pursuing that end. However, Dereck's experiment went very wrong, transforming him into the monstrous Eqquibus while also catapulting the Gray Champion and Mapacha into the modern world. Hea would quickly form a friendship with the Gray Champion, and the two of them would become allies with SCALLOP at Kyle's suggestion. Hea joins SCALLOP officially as a monitor for Gray's activities in Boston when Kyle is murdered by Eqquibus and can no longer perform that function. In exchange, SCALLOP personnel assist Hea in making sure that her daughter Tabitha is looked after. SCALLOP's success with keeping tabs on Seth Lambrelli, Navyrope, and the Gray Champion led to mounting pressure from Darius to the rest of the organization to find some way to get Extirpon under control. Rumors of a dangerous vigilante dubbing himself "Purge Flare," imitating Extirpon when possible and terrorizing brothels run by Clyde Spendelworth, also drew in SCALLOP's curiosity. The public also expected SCALLOP to do a better job at rounding up all the dangerous Marlquaanite prison field generators that were popping up around the world. However, there was also pressure from various lobbies to keep those generators around specifically to capture unruly Marlquaanites like Extirpon. Darius often challenged them on the grounds that Extirpon was the only one they were intent on capturing, and not any of the other lethal - and villainous ones - that Extirpon was keeping them safe from. These political tensions created for SCALLOP an enemy in the form of Judge Terry Beliah, who sought to undermine them any way he could to cover up his own involvement in child molestation - something he feared would one day be exposed if he didn't rid the world of Extirpon. Transition Suspecting the worst in the political scene and falling out of favor with the Obama administration, SCALLOP relocated several of its bases to Texas and Louisiana. They abandoned Boston and Gerosha completely. However, their resolve was also put to the test when Chillingworth declared them to be the next thing to go after he was done exterminating Team Gray. His defeat at the hands of Mapacha and Hea Pang proved only a temporary victory for SCALLOP, as the influence of Halal Affadidah grew amongst al-Queada sleeper agents on American soil. By 2015, SCALLOP aids Team Gray in saying goodbye forever to Boston. However, their being strained by relocation demands and the country imploding limits their ability to assist Lambrelli Labs in relocating. This ultimately has the effect of them being frustrated in their efforts to help Pilltar. Worse, they are forced to keep their distance from Navyrope for a time given his reputation. This means Navyrope's missions are endangered by lack of support. The war that breaks out in 2018 drives SCALLOP's resources especially thin, and several of those it was trying to protect become trapped behind enemy lines in the newly-formed states of Netheel and Ameristan. Affadidah makes a temporary truce with SCALLOP as it slowly transitions its way into leaving Ameristan, provided that Darius authorize a panel that issues mandatory physical exams for all Phexos still living in Ameristan-controlled territories and compiles the data into a database for Affadidah's government. Darius only reluctantly approves of this, realizing that the price being paid for Affadidah's cooperation involves opening wide the door of possibility for numerous human rights abuses. Weak correspondence and bad communication leads to SCALLOP officials neglecting to inform Candi Flippo that it is a crime to skip her appointment, thus resulting in her having an official criminal record when she forgets about her session. She is added to a list of known Phexos and Marlquaanites in SCALLOP's official database of such individuals with criminal records. It is around this time that Imaki Izuki starts making known with Rev. Tyler Kilmington and Rev. Wilbur Brocklyn the three men's plans for a Phexo and Marlquaanite outreach ministry that could lead to a league of heroes being formed under SCALLOP supervision. They argue that lack of organization of monitored heroes into such a league is one reason that America fell apart - and why no one at SCALLOP was prepared to do anything to prevent it. Rise of the Sodality See also: Sodality of Gerosha, ''Sodality'' (series) When it was revealed that Duke Arfaas had a nation of his own, and had formed a truce with Halal Affadidah; Darius began to take seriously the notion of recruiting a team of heroes - to combat the inevitable invasions and chaos that would soon afflict the newly-formed nation of Toklisana. His first bought of luck in working with Wilbur to create the Sodality of Gerosha was ironically two young college students at the University of Houston who had never been to Gerosha. Jack "the Jackrabbit" Mercreek and his girlfriend Miranda Kanla were the first two recruits. They were especially out to protect their friends from Hebbleskin Gang-affiliated monsters like Don the Psycho and Wayne the Vampire. "Jackrabbit" formed the front line assault, while Miranda manned the radio. A few of their other friends joined in on this in time. Through an encrypted signal, Imaki revealed to Darius that he had every intention of molding Candi into "Project Ciempiés," which Donte had affectionately dubbed "Project Ciem." Ciem and Emeraldon were destined to be the next members of the Sodality, or so Darius was told. However, Donte was captured and Candi was forced to rely on her new friend Dolly Malestrom to help her establish "Team Ciem" in the Houston area. When Team Jackrabbit and Team Ciem came together to form the Sodality officially, the only one who did not approve of Dolly being on the team was Darius. In spite his reservations, he allowed it. He felt she could prove herself useful. However, she discovered on her own about "Project: Earwig." Darius argued there were plenty of things wrong with the Earwig project, and that he feared someone like Dolly finding out about it. In spite Lex's protests, Darius refused to let Dolly have the Earwig armor. Hebbleskin infiltration Darius didn't want anyone to know that the Earwig helmet's psychotic AI had learned about the fact that Darius once had an affair behind Nancy's back. It reported the findings to Arfaas just before being taken off the grid, something Darius forgot to check. Arfaas began using this to blackmail Darius, and formed a secret line in order to contact him and manipulate his actions. Darius agreed to give the Hebbleskins a chance at stealing the armor for their own purposes, by moving it from once SCALLOP facility to another in Houston. Ciem and the Sodality girls were put in charge of watching in case something happened. Jackrabbit and Botan were out of town. When the ambush occurred, Candi soon found herself overwhelmed. With Musaran having been revealed, she decided to battle him. Dolly propped open the case with the armor and put it on to fight the various Hebbleskin minions, which proved too powerful for SCALLOP personnel on the scene to fight alone. She managed to activate everything except the helmet's AI. Her first outing as the Earwig proved a considerable success. After Ciem had chased Musaran away for the time being and the Earwig had defeated the Hebbleskin invasion force, Dolly returned the armor to its casing. Darius panicked, insisting to know if the AI had been activated. He began not trusting Dolly, and arguing with her. Dolly refused to be silent about Darius' strange behavior, with Candi overhearing it. He sent the girls back to their dorms, telling them they'd done enough for one day. Arfaas called Darius on the phone and asked if the "Gifted One of liPo" was among the girls. He explained to Arfaas that Candi was merely a Centhuen Prototype. The "liPo" referred to a "library position," not a Flippo. Dolly had been a librarian once, and was gifted in how quickly she could adapt to her situation to help her friends. She had a will of steel. Arfaas argued that both girls' heads should be delivered to him on a platter. Darius argued that Arfaas would have to go after Candi himself if he wanted her, but that he could arrange for Dolly to be put in an ideal place for Hebbleskin capture. Darius made good on this, and kept Lex distracted while he sent in a team to arrest the Sodality girls on charges of conspiracy to steal the Earwig armor for themselves. He bribed a judge to find Dolly guilty no matter what. He allowed the other three girls to plead their case, given the lack of evidence to make the charges against them stick. Arfaas grew very disappointed that Darius was playing games, and decided to send a team of Hebbleskins to impersonate SCALLOP personnel and infiltrate the building. They also found a way to sneak Musaran in. Dolly was found guilty and sentenced. The other three girls were acquitted. However, they were told they would have to return to their cells to collect their clothes and other belongings before being officially released. The Hebbleskin infiltration unit intercepted this. They focused on Candi primarily, claiming additional charges had suddenly been pressed and convincing her to enter into a secret room handcuffed. She found a chopping block waiting for her in this room. Demoralized and frustrated, she was prepared to let them kill her. However, the guards made the mistake of calling her the "Gifted Daughter of Shalia" - and of arguing whether or not she should be naked for her execution. Only Hebbleskin loyalists would be that specific about strict adherence to the rituals of Decolarent eam, eviscerate eum - her clue that these were not true SCALLOP agents. She decided to fight back and expose them, eventually managing to get her self free from her cuffs. She got on the phone with Lex as soon as possible to locate where Celia and Laurie were being kept. She quickly changed into a Ciem suit and teleported through as many walls as she needed to in order to find her friends. Meanwhile, two loyal SCALLOP agents caught on that the infiltrators were Hebbleskins. They fought bravely to protect Celia and Laurie, but Musaran arrived and spliced the male agent's guts open. He then beheaded the female agent in front of the girls. They prepared for their fate right when Ciem arrived. Lex sent out the alert that SCALLOP of Houston was being invaded by Hebbleskins dressed in SCALLOP uniforms. A mad scramble occurred as good agents fought Hebbleskins. Lex used this time also to contact Jackrabbit and tell him to make it back to Houston quickly. Darius decided to renege on his promise to hand Dolly over to Arfaas, instead transferring her into the custody of a Toklisanan federal prison to keep her from being spotted immediately. The Sodality retreated to their campus headquarters, soon realizing that TOKNS news coverage had made the girls celebrities and exposed them. They would need to relocate their HQ someplace else. Wilbur Brocklyn offered them a secret room in his campus ministry building to set up operations anew. Darius assassinated The ninja assassin Milp arrives in Houston, wreaking as much havoc as possible and spreading the Sodality thin. When she manages to murder Darius, Lex takes over his father's seat as director of SCALLOP. Lex uses his position as the new director to open an investigation into the Sodality girls' trial. He is able to convince enough powers that be that the trial was a charade that he is able to have Dolly re-tried. She is soon acquitted. Lex rewards her by letting her keep the Earwig armor, especially in response to having scanned through it himself enough to learn what the secret was that Darius went to such lengths to keep hidden. He warns her to keep tabs on its unstable AI, and keep it from turning her into the teamkilling homicidal maniac he fears it could turn her into. After some modifications, the Earwig proves a useful addition to the team. However, a splintered-off faction of Phaelites calling themselves the "Phaletori" begin to threaten Toklisana with their armies of True Centhuens. Some suggest Judge Terry Beliah is connected to them. When the Sodality is still unable to defeat Milp, they get some help in the form of Kyle "the Meerkat" Freneti and Charlotte "Mukade" Yamamura. Ciem, Earwig, Jackrabbit, and their new friends face a common threat in Don the Psycho, with Ciem and Jackrabbit both having a personal vendetta against him given that he raped the former and kidnapped the latter's girlfriend. Things hit the Sodality even more personally when Jeraime Malestrom is confirmed to be Musaran's true identity. SCALLOP does its part to help the Sodality with these impending threats from multiple sides, even allowing them to recruit the ill-tempered Botan the Plant-Man to their forces officially. Botan by himself easily doubles their power rating as a team. With him comes his scientist wife Emily Cormier. First Battle for Houston After a daring set of stunts, Ciem is able to free Jeraime from his Musaran AI and Dolly is able to free Donte in time for him to resume being Emeraldon. However, the Sapphire King also escapes. The defeat proves a crushing blow to Duke Arfaas, but problems intensify when Captain Aardwulf goes rogue and steals the Ming-Yo. To get it back, SCALLOP must work out the diplomatic details to let the Toklisanan government agree to let the Sodality work with Chinese MSS agents Miriam "Sniperbadger" Flippo, Steve McLaine, Black Rat, Tin Dragon, Stung Hornet, and Teal Hog. Lex's resolve for negotiation is put to the test, as tensions run high between Toklisana and the Chinese colony of Chimerica. Growing the Sodality SCALLOP is finally put to the test when Beliah begins pulling out all the stops on having them dissolved forcibly as an entity. They discover all the rogue and illegal ways he is working in cohorts with their enemies to undermine him, but are unable to get Beliah himself tried for treason. One lead suggests that Camille Beliah, Terry's daughter, will testify against him - if she can be recovered. SCALLOP's forces are also spread thin when Beliah's allies foolishly revive the Shrouded Entity - placing the Netherlands in danger. Given their specific problems, and the fact that Ciem goes on maternity leave from the Sodality, SCALLOP decides to send the Sodality on covert missions to locate more captured heroes that can be recruited. Several persecuted Phexos and Marlquaanites are recovered, as are their allies, from the prison field containers that Beliah's henchmen have accrued. This results in the Gray Champion and Hea Pang being able to join the Sodality officially. They bring along Tabitha and Mapacha for good measure. Ron and Stephanie Barrin, after Lambrelli Labs is harassed one time too many by Beliah's ilk, decide to retaliate by getting Pilltar and Strawberry involved in the Sodality's quest. Navyrope decides also that the time is right to join the Sodality. He seizes the opportunity of Hea and Tabitha's rescue to also recover Jordan and Tiffany Sterlie from Marlquaan freeze. Losing Celia and Laurie The Sapphire King ultimately decides not to join the Sodality officially, fearing he'll be confined too much to live by SCALLOP's rules. He slightly damages his friendly relationship with them when he convinces Celia Winehart to run away with him and abandon the team. The strain goes even further when he uses her as bait to set a death trap for SCALLOP agent Jim Oisdaat, whom Darius had essentially allowed to get away scot-free with having raped Celia while she was in jail on Earwig armor theft conspiracy charges. This revenge stunt makes Celia a permanent fugitive. SCALLOP decides to monitor the two renegades; but to not come down hard on them unless it should prove essential. Laurie Pegol also quits the Sodality's team, deciding she doesn't want SCALLOP hovering over her to be the most defining aspect of her life. Like Celia, she is also bitter about SCALLOP having made her a criminal, soiling her public record. Second Battle for Houston Wilfredo and Pam Marcones find their way to Toklisana from the Philippines, and aid the Sodality in recovering Extirpon any way they can. The Gray Champion manages to locate Camille and rescue her, while Extirpon helps the Sodality eliminate as many of Beliah's allies as they were unable to without him. This leads to a major showdown in Houston, when the Phaletori unleashes half its Centhuen army on a town still recovering from the Arfaas attack. The now much-stronger Sodality proves its worth, as the majority fight with all they have to take down the Centhuen army and Extirpon battles Beliah personally. Post-Second Battle for Houston SCALLOP declares that the Sodality will become a part-time organization, coming together only when needed. Its agents watch over the growing McArthur family estate, should Emeraldon and Ciem ever be needed again. Navyrope finds a wife, and lets his name be that of an official organization. This way, the classic Navyrope is not as essential to keeping the Navyrope spirit alive. Extirpon works with therapists after a few more missions to curb his bloodlust and soften his desire for killing. He also consults with them on how to get around the legal hurdles that prevent him and Pam from getting legally married. He finds settling down to be the best therapy possible for him. Lex decides to have Jackrabbit and Miranda become full time members of the Sodality, with Botan the Plant-Man as the only other full time "Founding Elite." Ciem, Emeraldon, Meerkat, and Mukade would be called in only on an as-needed basis. This way, Candi and Donte could manage their new estate near Waco; while Kyle and Charlotte could protect their home in the swamps of Louisiana from continued Ameristani jihadist invasions. The members of Team Gray eventually go their separate ways, with Tabitha growing up to marry Jordan Sterlie-Steel and adopting his daughter Samantha "Dollschief" Steel. Tabitha becomes the new bearer of Hester's locket when Hea Pang marries, not even allowing Lex himself to know specifics of when it was passed down nor its whereabouts. This was to ensure that the Icy Finger would have a harder time deducing its location. Even so, John Domeck eventually passes on his powers as the Gray Champion to Roy Bernald. Mapacha retires from the team, deciding she's getting too old for superhero work and wants to focus on her own modeling business. This time period was considered to be the zenith of SCALLOP's existence as an organization, having a total of 3,462 employees at any given point in time and being capable of traveling to any point in the world that they were given clearance to be in. Their model inspired the creation of similar organizations to address the Phexo, Meethexo, and Marlquaanite populations of other nations. ''Battle for Metheel'' Main article: Sodality: Battle for Metheel A short time after the Second Battle for Houston, King Morzhuk of Metheel decides to violate the cease-fire agreement in the Phaelon-Metheel War and begin war tensions anew. He reasons that the Hebbleskin Gang's ideology will solidify his rule, and makes an effort to return them from their exile to Earth. The Hebbleskins agree to leave Earth, their forces having been decimated following Arfaas' defeat. However, they warn Morzhuk about the Sodality. Morzhuk, in his paranoia, agrees to make war on the Sodality and capture the Legends - lest their combined powers should overthrow him. He manages to capture all of the Legends except for Extirpon, who was saved by the Earwig. However, a Phaelite vessel intercepted that of Morzhuk's forces and managed to rescue a few of the Legends. Captain Yemodan rescues the Gray Champion, Hea Pang, Navyrope, and Tabitha Pang. Pilltar, Strawberry, and Mapacha are later able to escape the vessel with help from Shabika and the rebels on Metheel. Amidst the fighting on Earth, Morzhuk manages to severely damage communications for both SCALLOP and the Sodality. This crisis leads to the public seeing that, for the first time in quite some time, SCALLOP is truly vulnerable as an organization. In spite this, Lex is able to establish contact on Phaelon. Ciem, Emeraldon, Earwig, Meerkat, Mukade, Jackrabbit, Botan, and their non-powered allies discern how to get to Metheel to help their friends overthrow Morzhuk and destroy the Hebbleskin Gang forever. Meanwhile, the Legends that were stranded on Phaelon travel to the past to destroy the Grand Ultimates' Ruby so that Morzhuk cannot harvest its power in the present. The Sodality is eventually able to unite as a force on Metheel with Extirpon, and they use their combined powers and strength to moralize the rebellion. Morzhuk is eventually overthrown. However, public sentiment begins to turn against SCALLOP; since it failed to mobilize the Sodality in sufficient time to prevent Morzhuk from inflicting damage on Houston and New Orleans. Reclaiming the northeast See also: The Gerosha Chronicles: Centipede + 49 When an attack in China prompts the Chinese to turn to SCALLOP for help, the Sodality of Gerosha is called in to assist their Chinese equivalent hero league, the Xìng Liánsài (Apricot League) in dealing with the new threat. At this point, it is the 2050s. Most of the original Sodalists have retired or gone into semi-retirement. Even so, the original Emeraldon is called in to assist his children. Candi McArthur is left behind in Houston. However, she finds herself buried under rubble when an Ameristani raid attacks a supermarket in Waco. Lex decides that, with Ameristan weakened by the death of Halal Affadidah, the time is right to reclaim the northeastern United States from Muslim Brotherhood control and rebuild the United States as a nation. He assembles a team of 49 soldiers who've been given centuition and leaping abilities, but not the healing factor nor the centileg features of true Centhuen Prototypes. This reconnaissance team would sabotage the remaining outposts where Ameristani forces still posed a threat - including a post in Big Rapids where a 1-gigaton nuclear bomb was being stored. To mobilize and moralize the troops, Lex has a team of SCALLOP agents recover an unconscious Candi from the store rubble. They run a drug through her similar to the one that was used to keep Darius from aging too rapidly. Candi reverts physiologically to her 19-year-old self. Informed that she's the only Sodalist left that could be made available for the 49, and that the drug would wear off to the tune of 5 years every 1 year, she agrees to become Ciem again and help the 49 Enhanced Soldiers reclaim Ameristan. This success leads to a military invasion by SCALLOP and the Toklisanan government to annex Ameristan's land claim. This allows Toklisana to rebuild most of the United States with the Muslim Brotherhood gone. However, they are unable to immediately purchase the west coast back from China. SCALLOP moves some of its operations to Gerosha, which becomes an epicenter for rebuilding the country. Forced participation in population control In spite the Sodality's efforts, the impact of Phexos and Meethexos on society proves expensive. The United Nations begins placing pressure on all nations to implement a program to eradicate the Phexo and Meethexo populations of every nation. SCALLOP opposes this measure vehemently, but popular opinion turns against Phexos and Meethexos due to public fear. When a measure is discovered to reverse Exo-ism, the newly-reformed US government finally forces SCALLOP to start utilizing it. Increased pressure from the public to prove that SCALLOP is morally better than the Phaletori also drives this push. It is determined that to call for the extermination of all Marlquaanites as Judge Terry Beliah once advocated would be suicidal. Instead, Phexos and Meethexos are required to have their conditions documented and placed in a registry. They are given three options: * Sterilization: Those who volunteer to be sterilized will be relatively free to live their lives without further harassment. * Probability Modification: This surgery costs a little more than sterilization; but renders the Phexo's children as having only a 1% chance of also having powers. If all children are determined to be normal, the family is allowed to live without fear of further monitoring or harassment. * Statement of Pride: Phexos with this option agree to be monitored and have their children monitored until the children make a different choice. Otherwise, they are allowed full reproductive freedom (within reason.) In every other area of life, their actions are specially-scrutinized. Candi and Donte decide to sponsor Jordan's probability surgery, wishing that he and Celia can live their lives in peace - provided Jordan retires from his past as a professional thief. Candi and Donte themselves choose the statement of pride, since they already had Frank pre-registry. Jack chooses the statement of pride, believing his high-ranking position in the Sodality will work in his favor. Miranda doesn't object, since Leapers are generally not considered particularly dangerous. Botan chooses the statement of pride, only because he doesn't want to be denied a child with Emily. Kyle and Charlotte choose the statement of pride, because they feel their son Ron will be needed for the Sodality's second generation. The measure is protested by a few, as its' viewed as a genocide campaign scantily clad as a benevolent cause. SCALLOP tries to defend itself by propagandizing couples who underwent the probability surgery and produced healthy, normal, non-Phexo children without any powers. Even so, the organization's reputation suffered. The Icy Finger destroys SCALLOP Remnants of the Affadidah regime, furious that they lost Ameristan, raid the Icy Finger's headquarters and take over. They begin utilizing these resources to plot revenge by hijacking the Chen. Lex, infuriated that the government forced SCALLOP to engage in systematic eradication of American Phexos whilst doing nothing about global populations, decides not to alert any Sodality-affiliated heroes of the attack. He instead orders the Chen crew to self-destruct the vessel as soon as possible. A lengthy battle ensues between SCALLOP agents aboard the Chen and Icy Finger troops breaking in. However, the Chen surfaces just in time for its own detonation. Lex follows through by issuing his resignation. Roy Bernald discovers that the current government head advocating for SCALLOP to eradicate Phexos from the gene pool is an Icy Finger spy. Roy gets Andy "the Pitohui" Baret involved in his quest to expose just how many Icy Finger associates have infiltrated the government, and to expose the Icy Finger to the general public. Other Phexos are discouraged from getting directly involved, as the Icy Finger has Marlquaanite prison field generators at the ready custom-tuned for Phexos. It ultimately takes five years of SCALLOP battling the Icy Finger to rid America of all trace of its influence. The Icy Finger refuses to go out quietly, requiring the few remaining first generation Sodalists to team up with the second generation to rid the world of the menace globally once and for all. The toll taken in lives results in the government deciding that SCALLOP should be dissolved, especially after the Phaelites behind it have all died in the fighting. Lex volunteers to hand over all documents pertaining to the organization's history. Replacement SCALLOP agrees with the government to dissolve entirely, but on a few conditions: # Phexos will not face any harm for choosing not to undergo surgery to reduce their odds of having a child with powers. Registry will remain optional until a Phexo/Meethexo has committed an actual crime. Only the Phexo convicted of a serious crime may be forced to undergo sterilization or be subjected to the probability machine. # Phexos and Meethexos will not be targeted, harassed, or punished for the crimes of Marlquaanites, and vice-versa. # The Society of Hester's Locket will not have its operations interfered with, except pending cases where a clearly justified warrant is issued. Nor will the location of the locket ever be required to become public knowledge. # No retaliation nor recriminations shall be sought after for the activities of SCALLOP, nor of the Sodality of Gerosha for acting under orders from SCALLOP. # Only in times of dire need and only with the most dangerous of Marlquaanites shall it ever be permissible to use a Marlquaanite prison field (MPF) generator on anyone. # Bezeetol is only to be used on the most dangerous of Phexos and Meethexos when they have proven unresponsive to more traditional means of being subdued. # It is to be considered a war crime to misuse either Marlquaanite prison field generators or Bezeetol. # Remotach pills must remain legal. # The Hebbleskin Gang practice of decolarent eam, eviscerate eum is to be outlawed. Far too many Phexos and SCALLOP agents have lost their lives to this brutal practice. #* All standard government-issue guillotines are to be destroyed. The terms are made final in 2063, in what is known as the "Gerosha Convention." SCALLOP is replaced with two organizations: the Genetically-Altered Humans Advisory Panel (GAHAP) and the Marlquaanite Observation and Advisory Panel (MOAP.) Per SCALLOP's terms of dissolution, the government agrees not to militarize either. GAHAP is sent to check on the health and well-being of Phexos and Meethexos, as well as to ensure they are integrating into society properly. MOAP is sent to check on Marlquaanites, and to ensure that their numbers are kept to a minimum. Troublesome Marlquaanites are reported to authorities, who go through appropriate channels to authorize use of military force if needed. Development Inspirations Gerosha Stone Main article: Gerosha Stone Since the real-life Gerosha Stone was discovered in 2008, it has been a central item of inspiration to the formation of all Gerosha mythology. It is a scallop seashell that was discovered on Cocoa Beach in Florida, and believed to have once belonged to a species of scallop native to France. There was a strong motivation given Stan Flippo and Henry Lohtz's ties to that seashell in-universe for the Phaelite Society on Earth to be renamed to something reflecting the seashell's impact both on their lives and on the lives of the Sodality's members. SCALLOP vs. Marvel's SHIELD SCALLOP, while inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of SHIELD, is not a direct analog. Unless its own staff or an allied hero is directly endangered, it does not specialize in rescue missions. It also has much-lower levels of secrecy, with very little of its information being truly classified. It does, however, monitor the activities of known Phexos, Meethexos, and Marlquaanites. It does not engage directly in the arms race for Marlquaanite rubies either, though it does protect any that fall into its possession from being confiscated by the Icy Finger. Many dangerous assignments SHIELD is seen carrying out in Agents of SHIELD, for example, would not be carried out by SCALLOP agents. They would instead defer the responsibility to whomever else had jurisdiction. SCALLOP possesses the ''Chen''; but they seldom use it for global transportation directly. It spends most of its time parked in the Gulf of Mexico. This is because SCALLOP rarely receives permissions and protocols to directly engage in international affairs. This does not stop them from sending the Sodality of Gerosha on international missions, although it seldom has to send a whole team. The initially-American and later-Toklisanan SCALLOP does have counterpart agencies with a similar mission set up in various other countries, so as to deal with Exo and Marlquaanite-related affairs outside of SCALLOP's regular reach. Rescue missions may be only occasional, but it very rarely engages in direct acts of capture or abduction. Even so, SCALLOP can be viewed just as easily as a more-ethically-minded version of "The Company" from Heroes. SCALLOP agents receive some combat training, mostly for self-defense while monitoring battles. They face constant threats to their government funding, and have had to look for ways to raise money privately. In this way, they have had to get creative. Unlike Marvel's SHIELD, SCALLOP is often under-funded. This has not stopped them from getting their hands on a few Marlquaanite rubies, notebooks for the chemical manufacture of Remotach pills, their own backup Pilltar and Strawberry drones should the Barrins or anyone else at Lambrelli Labs not be able to supply, or methods of destroying nin-chyo safely. Construction of the Chen put a huge strain on their budget. For missions that it cannot send the Sodality of Gerosha or an equivalent to, SCALLOP often counts on the National Guard or CIA pre-2018. Post-2018, it relies on branches of Toklisanan government to carry out the missions it does not have direct authorization to. Sodality members and other heroes that become directly or indirectly SCALLOP-affiliated may sometimes be issued special versions of their uniforms, just in case they are called on a diplomatic mission that could erupt in combat with villains. One example of this is the Dutch government calling in SCALLOP by name to send some representatives and heroes to battle the Shrouded Entity and his minions. Special uniforms were given to all at-the-time active Sodality members. However, only Hea Pang, Gray Champion, Extirpon, and Oraphim were around for most of the battle. Of these, only Hea Pang remains in the standard-issue uniform for long. Costumes See also * Darius Philippine * ''Sodality'' * Lex Philippine * Stan Flippo * Sodality of Gerosha * Timeline of events in Cataclysmic Gerosha Category: SCALLOP